The average life expectancy of Japanese women increased to 86.61 years in 2013, up from 86.41 the previous year, making them the world’s longest-lived females for the second consecutive year. Japanese men’s lifespan rose above 80 for the first time in 2013.

A Japanese infant born in 2013 can be expected to live 80.21 years, up from 79.94 years in 2012. Women in Hong Kong held the second spot on the longevity list, whose life expectancy rose to 86.57 in 2013. Japanese men positioned 4th fourth on the longevity list of the world’s 50 major countries and regions behind Hong Kong, Iceland and Switzerland. Hong Kong’s average male life expectancy was 80.87. However, Japan’s ageing population is a serious issue for policymakers who have to find solutions to ensure that the declining pool of workers can pay for the increasing number of pensioners.

Japan’s population contracted for the third consecutive year, with the aged comprising around 1/4th of the total population for the first time. The proportion of people aged 65 or over is estimated to reach nearly 40% of the population in 2060.